​The Buggles, Trevor Horn and Geoff Down’s groundbreaking synth pop band, are to receive the Outer Limits Award at the Progressive Music Awards 2016, which is taking place at the Underglobe Theatre in London, on Thursday 1st September.

By Eamon O'Neill on 30th August 2016.

​The Buggles, Trevor Horn and Geoff Down’s groundbreaking synth pop band, are to receive the Outer Limits Award at the Progressive Music Awards 2016. Taking place at the Underglobe Theatre in London on Thursday 1st September, the annual bash honours those from the progressive and boundary-pushing rock worlds. ​To be collected by Trevor Horn on the night, the Outer Limits Award is given to those artists who lurk on the outer limits of traditional prog, but celebrates that their creative output is most definitely progressive, although not necessarily in the traditional sense of the style.

Trevor tells Prog magazine that the accolade is perfect: “That’s a good way of putting it – I have skirted around prog,”

Adding that he is looking forward to the event, the celebrated produced said: “Will I be attending? Are you kidding? Yeah. It’s not every day you get a Prog Award!”

The Buggles debut single ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, shot the band to fame in 1979. A certified hit in sixteen different countries, it was an instant critical and commercial success. Amongst the many accolades the track received, in Australia it remained the countries best selling single for twenty-seven years, was Italy’s best selling single of 1980 and was the first video to ever be played on MTV in America.

The band first met and formed in 1977, and consisted of Trevor on bass, Geoff on keyboards and for a short period Bruce Woolley on guitar. ‘The Age Of Plastic’, the band's debut album, which had ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ as its lead track, involved several months of tiresome and intense experiment with studio equipment and techniques. Its production made it one of the most groundbreaking records of all time. As well as ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, the album also spawned singles ‘(Living In) The Plastic Age’, ‘Clean, Clean’ and ‘Elstree’.

Shortly after the album's release in January 1980, and while Trevor and Geoff were working on their second album, they were both invited to join Yes, where they went on to record and tour their ‘Drama’ album through 1980. In 1981, The Buggles continued working on their second album ‘Adventures In Modern Recording’ - all though Geoff left the band on the first day of recording. The resulting album, which Trevor produced using multiple session musicians, lives up to its title, and became the foundation of revolutionary recording techniques used in some of the biggest albums that defined the sound of the 80’s such as ‘Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Welcome To The Pleasuredome’, Grace Jones' ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ and Yes’ ‘90215’.

Jerry Ewing, Editor of Prog Magazine, says, “Whilst both Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes have gone on to have illustrious and successful careers in the rock world, those two splendid albums they released as Buggles were pioneering in sound and went on to have such an impact on the future of progressive music. It's an absolute pleasure to honour such talent.”

In its short but illustrious five year history, some of the best-selling artists of all time have attended and been honoured at the awards including Rick Wakeman, Genesis, Pink Floyd and Roy Wood. Matthew Wright, star of Channel 5’s flagship show The Wright Stuff, and prog uber fan, returns as the host.